“We knew that they didn’t have a lot of answers, but people needed to yell and scream, while knowing there’s going to be a another meeting with more information soon,” said Robin Hood, Likely Chamber of Commerce president.

“It was very beneficial.”

A Public Information Session was held at the Likely Community Hall on Tuesday, the first time residents have gathered to hear information on the Mount Polley spill, which released 4.5 million cubic of trailings into the ecosystem.

There was venting by some, asking questions that won’t be answered until the results of water samples are released on Thursday.

“I’ve sat through with three or four meetings with Mount Polley about discharging effluent,” said one man at the meeting.

“They can fill you with so much chemical [information], but we don’t understand it, I don’t understand it, it’s a waste of god damn time. All I want to know, after these water samples are done, can we drink the water or not.”

Others asked how the pond could have been breached in the first place, why there was a gap in officials getting to the scene, and why previous warningsweren’t heeded.

Minister of Mines Bill Bennett flew over the site on Tuesday, and said all resources at his disposal would be put towards dealing with the consequences.

“We don’t know if it’s really, really terribly bad, or not so bad. We don’t know. We hope it’s not so bad, but it could be really bad,” said Bennett.

“We have to find out quickly as possible and manage the situation. I have to take a step back as the Mines Minister and take a look at every single tailings pond, every single dam in this province, and make sure we’re doing what we should be doing.”

For those dependent on ecotourism or the mine for their livelihood, the short-term effects are already ‘really bad’.

Hood says miners at Mount Polley have been sent letters telling them not to report for work, and it’s still unknown when – or if – the mine will reopen.

“They’re working at the mine, they’re making $100,000 a year, they’ve got shiny new boats and snowmobiles and trucks and boom, the paycheck stops tomorrow morning,” he said.

“There’s a limit to how long people withstand that. There’s a lot of stress right now.”

“When we’re fly fishing with clients, I would take a cup because I’m so proud of this water. I think we should give [the mine’s] management free rooms here, and we’ll get them a glass a day, and see how that works out.

“Where was the Ministry of Mines? We’re regulated with our fly fishing, and compliance is a big part of our business. How can the biggest disaster in this province, how can that happened when they’re regulated by a ministry?”

Aerial photo of the breach site, Global News.

Global News

“It’s hard to look out at this water and see all this stuff,” said Sharon. “You have no idea what’s in it. I can’t use any water that we have here.”